The Acme Fresh Market store in the Montrose area is in the midst of a major renovation.
Last fall, Acme’s store on Medina Road or state Route 18 in Bath Township gained 10,000 square feet from its neighbor, Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts, when that store changed to a more compact model.
That moved up the timeline of a remodeling of the grocery store, said Acme Executive Vice President Jim Trout.
The expanded store will be 103,000 square feet, and the update will cost $3 million.
Nearly all of the parts of the store will get an update, including relocating several departments, said Trout.
When customers come into the main entrance, which will remain the same, they will “walk in to fresh breads and custom cakes,” said Trout.
Bakers will still do work toward the back of the store, behind a wall after the renovation. But a bakery at the front will feature cake decorators and fresh-made goods, said Trout. The main area will also include an expanded produce, cheese and prepared foods section, he said.
The floral department will also be in the middle of the store and will also include a “destination party center” of goods from Acme’s RSVP Food and Party Outlet stores in West Akron and Stow.
“Customers here aren’t as familiar with the RSVP. There will be all of the balloons and a destination balloon heaven,” said Trout.
Natural and organic foods areas will be more than doubled and moved from the back of the store to the produce area. The bulk foods area will also be updated and expanded.
“We’re taking a great location and making it world-class,” he said. “There are categories here the consumer wants and we want to get better at.”
The meat department will also be expanded, including more meat in the service counter and seafood.
The store is one of a limited number with a full state liquor store and will expand.
The adult beverage unit is the fastest growing department in the last five years, said Trout. It will grow by 25 percent and include more cold and craft beers, state-regulated liquor and assorted wines. The store already features a growler station with beers on tap.
The expanded store will also include an event room, which will be open for use by the community and Acme for wine and beer tastings and food samplings, Trout said.
The outside facade will also be updated.
Albrecht Inc., developer of the Montrose Acme Plaza, recently completed a $1.5 million upgrade, including new facades on other store fronts and reconfiguring the Acme parking lot, said Joe Albrecht, vice president of retail properties for Albrecht Inc.
The plaza has a new store, Salon Lofts, and recently added an exterior patio for the On Tap Grille and Bar. One space, a 1,270-square-foot store, remains available, said Albrecht.
Trout said other Acme stores still need renovations and both the Acme No. 1 in West Akron and a proposed Medina store are at the top of the list.
But the opportunity came about for Montrose to gain space, so the Akron-based grocer took advantage, he said. The company also elected to build its first new grocery store in 20 years in Green, which broke ground on Wednesday.
Trout said he hopes the Montrose renovations will be complete by Nov. 1.
Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/blinfisher and see all her stories at www.ohio.com/betty